Stony Mountain employee, inmates charged in drug smuggling

Morphine tablets, ephedrine pills, cannabis oil and cash were seized during the course of an investigation at Stony Mountain.

A Stony Mountain employee, two inmates and one of their girlfriends have been accused of a conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the federal penitentiary.

RCMP announced the arrests Friday following a joint investigation with the Correctional Service of Canada. Morphine tablets, ephedrine pills, cannabis oil and cash were seized by investigators.

Christopher Sposito, 29, of Selkirk, has been charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and possessing proceeds of crime. He was working at Stony as a "casual employee," according to police.

Stephan Konowalchuk, 30, and Joel Bruneau, 23, were both serving sentences at the medium-security prison when they were arrested.

Konowalchuk was serving an eight-and-a-half-year sentence handed to him for possession for purpose of trafficking on Sept 4, 2012.

Bruneau was serving a three-year sentence -- the mandatory minimum for possession of a restricted firearm without a licence and violation of a prior weapons ban. He was sentenced June 27, 2012.

They are now facing two charges of conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance.

Ashleigh Sullivan, 24, of Winnipeg, has also been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and conspiracy to traffic. RCMP say she was in a relationship with one of the inmates.

Sposito and Sullivan have both been released on promises to appear in court on Oct. 17 in Winnipeg. The two charged inmates remain in custody.